image theft - somewhat off

Kipp McMichael kimcmich@hotmail.com
Wed, 20 Aug 2014 12:39:12 PDT
Greetings,

   It is, as they say in America, a bitter "pill to swallow" but it is likely for everyone's benefit if internet image "borrowing" is not taken as cause for offense or anger. First, not all of the people involved in this practice intend to defraud anyone (though there are some who clearly do). A humble plant grower in a developing country is not really harming you by using your photo for illustration purposes. I doubt the photos you took were taken with the intent of selling them to foreign nurserymen, anyway. Why get worked up about it? Clearly, if one is a professional photographer, no one can fault you for guarding your livelihood... but if one is merely a hobbyist photographer, I would suggest looking at internet appropriation as the highest form of flattery.

  In my own experience, the free availability of images on the internet in invaluable when looking for images of rare plants, animals, etc. I am sure some of the images I have found when I needed a visual for some species have come from places that had appropriated the creator's original without permission. But the plethora of images one can easily access when a visual aide is important - which would inevitably be reduced if strict reporting & take-down were the rule rather than the exception, is a considerable Public Good. I take solace in my contributions (even if unintended) to that good rather than dwelling on picyune trangressions against things like my photos whose value to me is not actually reduced by such appropriation.

-|<ipp


> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 20:55:42 +0200
> From: agoston.janos123@gmail.com
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [pbs] image theft - somewhat off
> 
> One more thing i forgot.
> It would be really nice from search engine providers to have a link or menu
> where we can notify them of the image theft. Maybe they will index the
> notorious picture stealers much less often, or not show them in their
> search results as long as they keep the stolen pictures up.
> 
> Just a thought.
 		 	   		  



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